Following the Halibut: CDFW Tracks 2016 Recreational Pacific Halibut Catches to Keep Within Quota

Sport fisherman and California Recreational Fishery Survey staff with Pacific halibut. CDFW photo

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has monitored the recreational Pacific halibut catch to ensure it does not exceed the federally set annual quota since 2015. Active catch tracking during the season allows CDFW to manage the fishery in a timely and responsive way, and keep the catch within the quota.

The process for 2016 is the same one CDFW used to successfully track the fishery in 2015. CDFW tracks the catch using a combination of catch projections and catch estimates, and coordinates weekly with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) regarding progress towards the quota. If catch projections indicate the quota may be exceeded, NMFS has the authority to close the fishery early.

2016 Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas Adopted

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to announce the adoption of the 2016 Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas by the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) at their August 24 meeting in Folsom, California.

California is home to the largest scientifically designed network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the United States, comprising a total of 124 MPAs and 15 special closures which protect about 16 percent of state waters (approximately 9.6 percent in no-take MPAs). This accomplishment was the result of the California Legislature passing the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) in 1999.

Exploring California’s Marine Protected Areas: Point Lobos State Marine Reserve

One stretch of coastline in Central California is so picturesque that it is considered by some to be “the greatest meeting of land and sea in the world.”  This area, filled with amazing hiking trails, abundant marine life, and unparalleled scuba diving, is just a short drive south of the Monterey Peninsula.

Agencies Mull Options to Prepare for Future Domoic Acid Events

CDPH staff collects viscera from cooked crabs during domoic acid testing in 2015.   photo courtesy CDPH

In 2015 and 2016, there was an unprecedented bloom of a single-celled plant called Pseudo-nitzschia in ocean waters, which resulted in  elevated levels of domoic acid in Dungeness crab and rock crab. The elevated levels of domoic acid in crab along the West Coast impacted California fisheries from Santa Barbara to the Oregon Border.

The conditions that support the growth of Pseudo-nitzschia are impossible to predict, but tend to be more common in the warmer months

Reminder: New Tuna Fillet-at-Sea Regulations, Bluefin Tuna Bag Limit In Effect

Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis

Historically, Pacific bluefin tuna show up in California and Baja California waters each year during the late summer months. Last year, however, these sought-after tuna arrived in good numbers and never left, with 2016 catches occurring in pulses since February. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reminds anglers that new recreational regulations for Pacific bluefin